


Better a half trained Sorcerer than an untrained idiot

by William_Magnus



Series: Better a half trained Sorcerer than an untrained idiot [1]
Category: Young Avengers
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Lady Hawk, Other, dragon slayer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 12:12:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5290202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/William_Magnus/pseuds/William_Magnus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fantasy AU setting where Billy Kaplan is a Sorcerer and general supernatural problem solver in training who ends up having to save a town because if he does not do it no one will.  Inspired in part by movies like Lady Hawk and Dragon Slayer but also by a bit of art by the talented Cris-art (warning not safe for work, and spoils the probable end of the fic...if I don't decide to keep writing past that point) http://cris-art.tumblr.com/post/132256219988/dragon-teddy-based-in-the-au-of-the-talented</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part the first, arrivals

**Author's Note:**

> The name is apropos of nothing, just came to me in a panic when I realized I needed a name.

If he was there, his master would have beaten him before reading him the riot act for what he was planning, and then would have smacked him across the back of the head just for good measure. William reflected for a moment that he would have been right to do so as well. He knew how stupid his plan was. He was half trained, and that was being generous, sorcerer going up against what he planned on facing was insane. The problem was, the village he had found himself in was nearly a month’s ride from the nearest people that could do anything to help. 

The village, and William was hesitant to even call it that, was hardly large enough to justify having an inn let alone a dedicated meeting place for its town council which was why he was taking his time find where the local civic leaders were actually meeting. He had started with the inn, but found it too full of loud and frightened people plied with a bit too much bad ale to be a smart place for any council to meet. Of course, before his death his master had once told him that small villages almost never made the smart choices except by mistake.

This town, though, may have been the exception. After dismissing the inn William managed to find the council hold up in the local smithy. It was, on reflection, a near perfect place. This late in the day it was unlikely to be disturbed by customers, it would still be perfectly warm, and any place with so much iron would be proof against most magics like scrying or mind control. 

Most magics not including William's of course. A small smile played across the young sorcerer's lips as he remembered the first time he had been caught toying with and old iron pan using only his magic. He had yet to be taught that any magic except for the most direct use of elements is supposed to be broken by the touch of cold iron, and his master had been all but tearing out his hair putting him through every test he could to explain why he could do what he should not be able too. In the end all he could, or perhaps would, say is that he had iron magic in his blood. A comment that would confuse William as no one in his family had shown any aptitude for magic at all in the past. 

Clearing his head of old memories he took a moment to focus on his magics, to hone in on the iron permeating the smithy so he could listen in on the debate inside. What he heard had him horrified. He had arrived too late!

Already too late to prevent those that lead the area form making an incredibly stupid move his only chance was to convince them not to do anything else that would threaten lives and maybe try and undo their actions.

At first those inside the smithy did not notice the door start to rattle. It was not until the wooden beam place to prevent anyone from opening the door started to shake and then bounce out of place that anyone took notice of what was going on. 

The weather outside was not bad enough to justify a good clap of thunder, but as the door slammed open seemingly on its own the loud bell like ring of the smith's largest hammer falling from the wall and hitting an anvil some half a dozen feet away did almost as well.

There, with staff in hand and cloak pulled low so his face was hidden in shadow, a slim figure stood waiting till he was sure that he had the attention of everyone in the room before the end of his staff began to glow. 

That he could speak at all without a stutter or a squeak was one of the few good things William would have to say later about the meeting with the town's illustrious leaders.

"I understand you are having problems with a Dragon."


	2. Part the second, Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where in William meets the first of his companions on the quest to save a village so small it hardly deserves a name, and is given a chance to rant about the idiocy of those in charge.
> 
> Also where in a legendary ranger's name is co opted by someone new.

"Morons! What utter and complete Morons!" Williams fumed and cursed as he made sure his mule was placed with everything he needed. He had barely made it out of the little village before the addled minds of its so called leaders thought that they should try and have him kept locked up for his own good. The few men that had chosen to keep after him into the nearby woods had learned that the old saying about meddling in the affairs of Wizards held true for teenaged sorcerers as well.

"Not that I am likely to argue with you, but which piece of utter idiocy are you berating your mount about? Hmm?" The voice coming so suddenly from behind him when he was normally quite difficult to sneak up on had the effect of making the sorcerer jump and spin around staff immediately at the ready to fight off...nothing at all.

There was a careful amount of amusement in the voice when it called out, "Up here." enough so that William worked to carefully school his face when looking at the person dressed as a bad pantomime bandit in a mix of black and purple leather.

There were stories of a great hunter known for wearing purple leather in the lands a week or so ride to the west but this could not be him. No, definitely not /him/ William thought eyeing small details of the masked figure that most would not likely pay attention too.

William could almost hear his master’s voice. "Rule one when dealing with magic creatures, look up and down. Dragons and Pixies fly, Elves and Goblins climb, and a whole host of things you don't want crawling up your pant legs tend to the rather short. Humans, for the most part, hardly ever look up or down enough and with the exception of Ghosts not one thing you will face is above using that fact to their advantage."

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, while keeping his eyes trained on the masked figure leaning against the tree while standing on a branch nearly half way up it, he replied. "The masks are bit of overkill don't you think? I mean, I am certainly not from around here nor likely to be too inclined to tell the idiots back in that village much if I ever return to it. Whomever your hiding your identity form back there is not going to learn a thing from me." 

William had to make comment on something about the woman, and given how dangerous she looked with those swords and the bow she could likely nock and fire before he had time to blink the mask seemed a safer choice than her choice in fashion, or just how hard she was working to hide her gender.

"Oh no, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future." She quipped back at him without so much as a second of thought before stepping off her branch and dropping to the ground with a landing that held far more grace than William was sure he could ever match even if he used magic.

"I'll have to remember that. As for the idiocy, that is entirely on the illustrious leaders of your local hamlet. A total of two dragon sightings and a single missing sheep and already they are hiring mercenaries and talking about a maiden lottery. The Dragon has yet to make any real appearances, and made no threats or demands. Hell, there are better than even odds that the sheppard fell asleep and simply lost his sheep instead of it being eaten by a dragon unless it is a particularly young one. Given everything the beast is likely just passing through, or at worst looking for a place to start hibernating. Sending soldiers after it is only going to antagonize the beast." William ranted at the purple clad woman for a moment before stopping and taking a breath to center himself.

The woman laughed a little and fixed William with a look that even through the masks he could tell held a grin. "And I bet out fair leaders dismissed you out of hand because you’re what, maybe a year at most older than said sheppard? His name is Santo by the way, and your right he probably did fall asleep and did jack when it came to looking for the lost sheep."

The glare that William gave the woman only caused her to pause a second or two before she started smiling again under her mask. 

"I at least know well enough never to dismiss a sorcerer just because of the way he looks." She offered. "I mean, with all magic can do you could be well over a thousand years old instead of..." She waved a hand to indicate how William actually looked.

"Instead of the same age as the hunter suggesting he may well be too young to expect anything close to respect from their elders?" As dangerous as the woman seemed, and given how she held herself it was oh so very obvious to anyone with half a brain she was dangerous, he was starting to realize she was the kind of person he could share a good deal of snark with and have them both enjoy it instead of taking offense. 

"As much as I am enjoying this, if I am going to save lives I have to hurry. If your here to commiserate on the stupidity of your leaders we can save that till after I have kept your town from being turned to ash, but if your here to offer a hand now would be the time to mount up on that very impressive and expensive looking black horse I can see a good thirty feet back to the west I am going to assume is yours, or at least soon will be Miss."

"Mi-Miss..?!?" William could not help the small smirk that graced his lips at the very first sign that the woman in purple was anything but dangerous and competent at whatever she turned her hand too. "I don't know what..."

William held up a hand silencing the woman mid sentence. "I really don't have time for confused feelings, humorous misunderstandings, and any other Sweet Polly Anna shenanigans that are more fitting to ballads and fairy tales than real dragon hunting. I am a Sorcerer, I was trained to see what is really there not what is expected. Frankly, I don't care what gender you are or pretend to be because I can see your more dangerous than any ten men I saw back in that village and would welcome a friend that can watch my back in what is to come. If you want to keep up the charade once we catch up to the mercenaries hired to attack the dragon fine with me, but you are going to need to tell me what to call you before then because I am no good at making up decent names on the spot."

She stood shocked for almost a full minute before letting out a full throaty laugh. "You know what, I have a feeling this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship. You can call me Hawkeye."


End file.
